The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (Alex Norris)
The Minister for Faith, Communities and Resettlement, my noble Friend Lord Khan, has today made the following statement:
In April the Government announced a new fund to provide a comprehensive service to monitor anti-Muslim hatred and to support victims. The establishment of the fund will contribute to the Government’s commitment to creating safer streets as part of the plan for change, with addressing the rise of Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hate playing a crucial part in building safer, stronger and more cohesive communities for all.
The grant competition opened on 7 April and closed on 18 May. We received a number of strong applications from organisations that share the Government’s enthusiasm and impatience for tackling anti-Muslim hatred.
We have now concluded the competition process, and I am pleased to announce that we have appointed the British Muslim Trust as our new Government-funded partner.
The British Muslim Trust will establish a multi-channel helpline for reporting anti-Muslim hate crimes and incidents, undertake deep outreach into grassroots and Muslim communities, conduct research to better understand Islamophobia and anti-Muslim hatred, and deliver training and public awareness campaigns to shift perceptions of British Muslims. The British Muslim Trust plans to mobilise and launch its service by the autumn.
The Government will continue to work with communities to confront all kinds of racial and religious hatred, to create a more tolerant and understanding society for everyone.
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